Washcloth



March 17, 1964 w. D. HULL 3,124,827

WASHCLOTH Filed March 24, 1961 INVENTOR.

W/LL IAM D. HULL.

Patented Mar. 17, 1964 3,124,827 WASHCLOTH William D. Hail, 1714 Courtland, Park Ridge, 111. Filed Mar. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 98,243 6 Ciaiins. (Cl. 15--568) This invention relates to washcloths and, more particularly, to a washcloth of the type provided with a soap-receiving pocket and additionally provided with handle forming means whereby application of the washcloth and soap to the less accessible parts of the body is facilitated.

Washcloths provided with soap-receiving pockets are known, however, ditficulty may be experienced with such prior washcloths in inserting and holding a bar of soap in the soap pocket and further in the application of the washcloth and soap to the back and less accessible parts of the body.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved washcloth provided with a soapreceiving pocket which overcomes the aforementioned diificulties.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved washcloth.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a washcloth having an improved handle means to provide for application of the washcloth to the less accessible parts of the body.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly stated, the invention relates to a washcloth comprising a band of absorbent material and two sets of handle forming drawstrings, each set of drawstrings being operatively connected to close a respective end of the band. In this manner the band forms a soap-receiving pocket for receiving and retaining a bar or cake of soap. Moreover, the drawstrings provide a pair of handles on the washcloth.

The nature of the invention will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved washcloth illustrated with the band of absorbent material open at the ends;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the improved washcloth and illustrated with the drawstrings thereof pulled tightly; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional end view of the improved washcloth of FIG. 1 taken along line 33 thereof.

Referring now to the drawing and particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the improved washcloth is illustrated generally at 19 and includes a ring or band 12 of absorbent material, such as terrycloth, open at its ends 12a and 12b and closable by a pair of handle forming drawstrings 14 and 16.

In order to provide pockets for receiving the drawstrings 14 and 16, the respective ends of the band 12 are provided with hems 18 and 20, respectively, which, in the illustrated embodiment, are formed by an end portion of the band 12 being folded inwardly over the inner surface of the band. Moreover, the folded portion of the band 12 is circumferentially stitched at each end as illustrated at 22 and 24, thereby forming a drawstring pocket 26 along each end of the band 12. The drawstrings 14 and 15 each extend into a respective one of the drawstring pockets 26 formed by the hems 18 and 20. Specifically, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, each of the drawstring pockets 26 are provided with a pair of diametrically opposed eyelets 28 extending into the pocket 26 through the inner hem or folded portion of the band 12. As shown in the illustrated embodiment the eyelets extend through the hems 18 and 20 between the stitches 22 and 24-. Moreover, each drawstring 14 and 16 has each end thereof passing through an opposed one of the eyelets 28 in the respective pocket 26 so that the ends of the drawstrings 14 and 16 extend into the drawstring pockets 26 about one-half of the circumferential length of the pocket 26, each end terminating adjacent the opposed one of the eyelets 28 in each pocket 26. Each end of the drawstrings 14 and 16 are secured within the drawstring pockets 2.6, for example, by stitching 3%) at a point adjacent the respective opposed eyelets 28, Furthermore, each of the drawstrings 14 and 16 are of suflicient length to form a handle and may include a large knot 14a, 16:! at the outer end thereof to provide for gripping the drawstring.

From the above description, the operation of the improved washcloth is believed clear; however, briefly, with the drawstrings 14 and 16 in a released position so that the ends of the band 12 are open, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a bar or cake of soap 32 may be inserted into the band 12 through either end thereof. Opposed pulling of the drawstrings 14 and 16 will draw the strings 14 and 16 tightly in their respective drawstring pockets 26 and will close the ends of the band 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2, thereby forming a pocket 34 for the soap 32.

It will be appreciated that a washcloth according to the present invention may readily and economically be made and that the washcloth provides a convenient pocket for receiving and retaining soap. Moreover, the drawstrings provide handles for drawing the washcloth over a back or less accessible part of the body.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A washcloth comprising a band of absorbent material open at its ends, a first hem along one end of said band forming a first drawstring pocket, a first pair of diametrically opposed eyelets extending into said first pocket, a second hem along the other end of said band forming a second drawstring pocket, a second pair of diametrically opposed eyelets extending into said second pocket, a first drawstring having each of its ends in said first pocket each extending through an opposite one of said first pair of eyelets, each of said ends being secured in said first pocket adjacent the opposed one of the eyelets, and a second drawstring having each of its ends in said second pocket each extending through an opposite one of said second pair of eyelets, each of said ends being secured in said first pocket adjacent the opposed one of the eyelets, thereby forming a soap-receiving pocket in said band.

2. A washcloth as set forth in claim 1 above wherein said hems are formed by end portions folded inwardly over the inner surface of said band, said end portions being circumferentially stitched to said band to form said drawstring pockets.

3. A washcloth as set forth in claim 2 above wherein said eyelets extend through the folded end portions of said band.

4. A washcloth as set forth in claim 1 wherein said drawstrings form handles.

5. A washcloth comprising a soap-receiving pocket of absorbent material open at least at one end, a hem along said open end forming a drawstring pocket, a pair of diametrically opposed eyelets extending into said drawa A: string pocket, and a drawstring having each of its ends in open end intermediate said rings and extending through said pocket extending through an opposite one of said respective ones of said rings, and an additional string eyelets, each end being secured in said drawstring pocket secured to the other end of said band. adlacent the opposed'one of the eyelets References Cited in the file of this patent 6. A washcloth comprising a band of absorbent cloth 5 material open at least at one end forming a soap-receiving UNITED STATES PATENTS pocket, a pair of diametrically opposed rings secured 813,339 Wollf Feb. 20, 1906 along the inner surface of said band adjacent said open 2,156,940 Graham May 2, 1939 end, a drawstring having each of its ends secured to said 2,363,697 Schirmer Nov. 28, 1944 band at diametrically opposed points adjacent said one 10 2,754,533 Swartout July 17, 1956 

5. A WASHCLOTH COMPRISING A SOAP-RECEIVING POCKET OF ABSORBENT MATERIAL OPEN AT LEAST AT ONE END, A HEM ALONG SAID OPEN END FORMING A DRAWSTRING POCKET, A PAIR OF DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED EYELETS EXTENDING INTO SAID DRAWSTRING POCKET, AND A DRAWSTRING HAVING EACH OF ITS ENDS IN SAID POCKET EXTENDING THROUGH AN OPPOSITE ONE OF SAID EYELETS, EACH END BEING SECURED IN SAID DRAWSTRING POCKET ADJACENT THE OPPOSED ONE OF THE EYELETS. 